Method and means for generating high electrical potential



Dec. 25, 1951 R HART METHOD AND MEANS FOR GENERATING HIGH-ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL Filed Feb. 17, 1947 f/VVEA/TQQ R M M Patented Dec. 25, 195i METHOD AND MEANS FOR GENERAKTING HIGH ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL Russell Hart, Los Angelcs, Calif.

Application February 1'7, 1947, Serial No. 728,971

10 Claims.

My invention relates to a method and means for generating high electrical potential. The principal objects are, first, to convert the kinetic energy of fast moving electrically charged particles into electrical potential, second, to convert the kinetic energy of the high velocity electrically charged particles emitted by atoms undergoing nuclear reaction such as radioactivity or atomic nuclear fission into electrical potential, and third, to generate an electrical potential high enough to substantially accelerate, retard, or induce atomic nuclear reactions.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear hereinafter, and while I show herewith, and will describe one form of construction, I desire to be understood that I do not limit myself to such form, since various changes and adaptations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

The objects of this invention are attained in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of means for converting the kinetic energy of high velocity electrically charged particles into electrical potential. Fig. 2 illustrates apparatus for generating electrical potential by collecting the charge on particles emitted by radioactive substances.

Figure 1 shows a means for converting the kinetic energy of high velocity electrically charged particles, such as are emitted from the cyclotron, betatron, atomic nuclear fission or radioactivity, etc., into electrical potential. It also provides means whereby suitable atoms may be bombarded by the high velocity particles from the cyclotron, betatron or other accelerating device, while under a very high electrical potential, either positive or negative, to influence or effect nuclear reaction.

The shell is adapted to enclose and support electrode 5 through electrical insulating supports 5 and It. This enclosing shell may be made of any suitable material capable of holding a high vacuum under operating conditions. Supports 4 and H3 are made of a material havin a very high electrical insulation value under operating conditions, such as Pyrex glass, fused quartz, porcelain, zircon, etc. Inner support shell 3 can be made of any suitable material. If shell 3 be made of metal or other electrical conducting material then it can be used as electrode 5 if desired. Electrode 5 can be spherical as illustrated, a fiat or curved plate, or any other desired shape and can be made of any suitable material capable of conducting electricity under operating conditions. If electrode 5 is made comparatively flat, then it may be desirable to provide a grid or screen of electrical conducting material and electrically connected to electrode 5 through which the electrically charged particles would have to pass before hitting the electrode to prevent rebound of the particles after hitting the electrode. Lead in wire 2 is electrically connected to electrode 5 and can be embedded in support 5. Window 6 leads to the interior of shell 3 and or electrode 5 to admit high velocity particles 8. This window 6 can be a simple hole in support shell 3 and or electrode 5. Its size can vary widely to suit operating conditions and may be such that shell 3 and or electrode 5 become a hemisphere or less. A suitable electrically conducting grid or screen can be placed across the window as illustrated and electrically connected to the electrode 5 to assist in preventing the escape of particles 8 from the interior of shell 3 and or electrode 5 if such a tendency should exist. Should it be desired to keep the vacuum inside shell I and shell 3 separate, then the window 6 can be made of a thin sheet of suitable material such as platinum, aluminum, beryllium, etc., through which the high velocity particles 8 can travel. The interior of shell 3 and or electrode 5 may or may not be vacuum sealed from the interior of shell I. Exhaust tube l2 leads through support in to the inside of shell 3 and or electrode 5 and is connected to a high, vacuum pumping system. Exhaust tube H leads from the interior of shell I to a high vacuum pumping system. Ground connections are indicated to the interior of exhaust tubes H and 12 to attract charged ions into the exhaust system. The inner end 9 of exhaust tube I2 is preferably located near the center of shell 3 and or electrode 5. Entrance tube l leads from the interior of shell i and is adapted to be connected to an accelerating device such as a cyclotron,-betatron, etc., or to a source of high velocity electrically charged particles emitted by atomic nuclear fission or radioactivity, etc. Arrow ll indicates the directionthe high velocity electrically charged particles 8 flow from the accelerating device or atoms undergoing nuclear reaction.

Accelerating devices such as the cyclotron. betatron, etc., are now capable of accelerating ionized atoms, atomic particles and electrons to a velocity of above million electron volts. However. this does not mean that a potential of 100 million volts is produced. It merely means that a velocity is produced which is theoretically equivalent to the velocity which would be produced by a potential of 100 million volt field, if such a potential were possible to generate and hold. A salient purpose of this invention is to convert the kinetic energy of these the way for attaining the desired millions of' volts potential by converting the kinetic energy of the electrically charged particles emitted by the cyclotron, betatron, and other accelerating devices into actual electrical potential in a vacuum space to prevent ionization and resulting potential dissipation.

Converting the kinetic energy of these high velocity electrically charged particles into electrical potential is accomplished by using the principle of electrical repulsion. It is known and can be demonstrated that when two objects having the same kind of electrical charge, either positive or negative, are forced toward each other, then the energy required to overcome their electrical repulsion appears as a rise in the electrical potential of the objects. This effect can be demonstrated with an electroscope and a metallic conductor having an insulated handle. The electroscope and metallic conductor are placed in electrical contact and given a charge of either positive or negative electricity by suitable means. The electroscope and metallic conductor bein in contact will have the same potential and the leaf of electroscope diverge. When we take hold of the insulated handle of the metallic conductor and move it away from the electroscope We will observe the leaf to drop because the potential is converted into kinetic energy by the repulsion of electrified objects having the same kind of charge. When we force the conductor towards the electroscope we will observe the leaf to rise indicating a conversion of the energy required to overcome their electrical repulsion into electrical potential.

It is a law of electricity that an object having a positive charge will repel another object having a positive charge and an object having a negative charge will repel another object having a negative charge irrespective of their individual size and degree of potential. However, if we force together two electrically charged objects of like sign, then the force required to overcome their electrical repulsion is converted into a rise in the potential .of the objects involved irrespective of their individual size and degree of potential. Conversely, if the charged objects are allowed to recede from or bounce off each other, then the electrical potential generated by forcing them together will be consumed in forcing them apart.

This invention can be used to convert the kinetic energy of high velocity positively charged particles or ions, such as protons, deutrons, alpha vacuum and then the wire 2 and electrode 5 in Figure 1 are preferably given an initial positive potential of several thousands of volts by any suitable means. This initial positive electrification of electrode 5 is desirable but not essential to the operation of this\device because a stream of positively charged particles hitting electrode 5 will build up a positive charge on it. A stream of high velocity positively charged particles are then admitted through entrance tube I from any suitable accelerating device such as the cyclotron, or from a substance undergoing atomic nuclear fission or radioactivity, etc., in the direction indicated by arrow l1 and broken lines 8. This stream of positively charged particles 8 passes through window 6 and impinge on positively electrified electrode 5 as long as their electron volt velocity is greater than the positive potential on electrode 5. The advancing stream of positively charged particles will tend to raise the positive potential of electrode 5 by electrical repulsion until it is equal to the electronvolt velocity of the positively charged particles in stream 8.

A positively charged particle being thrust towards positively charged electrode 5 will have its potential raised until it passes through window 6, when its positive charge is transferred to electrode 5.

This invention can also be used .to convert the kinetic energy of high velocity negative charged particles such as electrons into a source of negative potential in the following way. The interior of shells I and 3 are exhausted to a very high degree of vacuum and wire 2 and electrode 5 in Figure 1 are preferably given an initial negative potential of several thousand volts by any suitable means. This initial negative electrification of electrode 5 is desirable but not essential to the operation of this device because a stream of negatively charged particles hitting electrode 5 will build up a negative charge on it. A beam of high velocity negative electrons are then admitted through entrance tube I from a suitable accelerating device such as a betatron, etc., in the direction indicated by arrow I1 and broken lines 8. The beam of electrons 8 pass through window 6 and impinge on electrode 5 as long as their electron volt velocity is greater than the negative potential of electrode 5., The advancing beam of electrons will tend to raise the negative potential of electrode 5 by electrical repulsion as explained above until it is equal to the electron volt velocity of the electrons in beam 8. A stream of any negatively charged particles can be used instead of negative electrons.

It is known that high velocity electrons strik ing any substance tends to generate X rays with some of their kinetic energy. In this device the generation of X rays is undesirable because of their ionizing the air outside of shell I. This generation of X rays can be reduced by keeping the negative potential of electrode 5 nearly equal to the electron volt velocity of the electron beam 8. While starting up this device the velocity of electron beam 8 can be at a comparatively low value and then gradually increased as the negative potential of electrode 5 builds up. The ionizing effect of any X rays produced can be reduced by placing a suitable shield inside shell I of lead or other material.

In Figure 2, shell I5 is supported inside shell 3 and or electrode 5 by supports I3 and II which may or may not be electrical conducting. When a substance such as plutonium, which emits high velocity positively charged particles is placed on shell l5, these positively charged particles are thrown towards positively charged electrode 5 and their charge is transferred to it.

In view of the very high potential involved, it may be desirable to enclose shell I inside one or more other shells each separated by a high vacuum space. A shield of lead or other suitable substance can be placed in the vacuum space between shells to diminish any ionizing radiation.

I claim:

1. An electric potential generator comprising: a vacuum chamber; an insulated electrically charged electrode in said vacuum chamber; means for producing a stream of electrically charged particles adapted to bombard said electrode, the source of said electrically charged particles being external to said electrode, said electrically charged particles having electrical charges of the same sign as the electrical charge on said electrode.

2. Means for generating a positive electric potential comprising: a vacuum chamber; a positively charged electrode in said vacuum chamber; means for producing a stream of positively charged particles adapted to bombard said positively charged electrode, the source ofsaid positively charged particles being external to said positively charged electrode.

3. Means for generating a negative electric potential comprising: a vacuum chamber; a negatively charged electrode in said vacuum chamber; means for producing a stream of negatively charged particles adapted to bombard said negatively charged electrode, the source of said negatively charged particles being external to said negatively charged electrode.

4. An electric potential generator comprising: a vacuum chamber; an insulated electrically charged hollow electrode in said vacuum chamber, said hollow electrode having a window in its wall; means for producing a stream of electrically charged particles adapted to bombard said hollow electrode through said window, said electrically charged particles having electric charges of the same sign as the electric charge on said hollow electrode.

5. An electric potential generator comprising: a vacuum chamber; an insulated electrically charged hollow electrode in said vacuum chamber, said hollow electrode having a window in its wall; means for producing a stream of electrically charged particles adapted to bombard said hollow electrode through said window, said electrically charged particles having electric charges of the same sign as said hollow electrode; and means for removing the particles which comprised said stream of electrically charged particles from the interior of said hollow electrode.

6. The method of generating electric potential with apparatus including an electrically charged electrode enclosed in a vacuum chamber which method comprises: bombarding said electrically charged electrode with a stream of electrically charged particles which have a source external to said electrode, said electrically charged particles having electric charges of the same sign as the electric charge on said electrode.

7. The method of generating electric potential with apparatus including an electrically insulated electrode enclosed in a vacuum chamber which method comprises: electrically charging said insulated electrode; accelerating a stream of electrically charged particles external to said electrode; and bombarding said electrically charged electrode with said stream of accelerated electrically charged particles, said electrically charged particles and electrode having electrical charges of the same sign.

8. The method of generating electric potential with apparatus including an electrically insulated hollow electrode enclosed in a vacuum chamber which method comprises: electrically charging said hollow electrode; projecting a stream of electrically charged particles into said hollow electrode through its wall, the electrical charges of said particles and hollow electrodes having the same sign; and pumping said particles from the interior of said hollow electrode.

9."The method of generating electric potential with apparatus including an electrically insulated hollow electrode having a window inits wall and enclosed in a vacuum chamber which method comprises: electrically charging said hollow electrode; projecting a stream of electrically charged particles into said hollow electrode through said window, said electrically charged particles and hollow electrode having electric charges of the same sign.

10. The method of generating electric potential with apparatus including an electrically insulated hollow electrode having a window in its wall and enclosed in a vacuum chamber which method comprises: electrically charging said hollow electrode; projecting a stream of electrically charged particles into said hollow electrode through said window, said electrically charged particles and hollow electrode having electric charges of the same sign; and pumping said particles from the interior of said hollow electrode.

RUSSELL HART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,391,671 Donisthorpe Sept. 27, 1921 1,715,326 Hendry May 27, 1929 2,032,545 McElrath Mar. 3, 1936 2,058,878 Holst et a1. Oct. 27, 1936 2,111,256 Warnecke Mar. 15, 1938 2,272,374 Kallmann et al. Feb. 10, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES Mason, Static Electricity, pages -137, copyright 1904.

Moseley, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series A, vol. 88, pages 471-476 (1913).

Linder, Nuclear Electrostatic Generator, Physical Review, vol. 71, pages 129-130, January 15, 1947, 171AE Digest.

Miller, Physical Review, vol. 69, June 1 and 15, 1946, pages 666, effective date May 6, 1946, 171-AE Digest. 

